John Lennon’s Sister Wants Beatles Fans to Buy Parts of Strawberry Field

John Lennon’s sister is leading a campaign to offer Beatles fans the chance to own a part of Strawberry Field, and support a benefit campaign in the process.

Immortalized in the 1967 track “Strawberry Fields Forever,” the real Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army children’s home that was demolished in the ‘70s. The campaign aims to raise funds for a new support hub and visitor experience to be built on the site. Bricks from the original building are being sold for approximately $100 each, complete with a presentation box, limited-edition numbered to 2,500, and an embossed hologram.

“We want to open it to the public for the very first time, so that visitors can celebrate and enjoy it now and forever,” the Salvation Army said on the Strawberry Field website. “The visitor experience will tell the story of the Salvation Army, the children’s home that once stood here and the part that Strawberry Field played in the life of John Lennon and the Beatles. We will create a new training and work placement hub for young people with learning disabilities, where they can learn skills, gain work experience, grow in confidence and achieve. You can help us bring Strawberry Field back to life.”

Julia Baird, Lennon’s half-sister, is all for it. “I am sure that all Beatles fans will find a way to support this significant project that will bring hope to so many young adults with learning disabilities," she said. "With Fathers' Day coming soon, what better present could there be for lovers of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’”

The track, which was originally intended to appear on Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but released as a single instead, is widely regarded as one of the Beatles’ chief achievements in psychedelic rock, while its video is a key moment in the development of promo films.

Lennon thought of "Strawberry Fields Forever" as one of his best works. “It's real, you know," he said in a 1970 interview. "It's about me, and I don't know anything else really. The only true songs I ever wrote were 'Help!' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever.'"